Atalanta Power Play: Lecce defeated 4-1 in Bergamo
Nerazzurro haul thanks to a De Ketelaere double and goals from Scalvini and Zalewski
With a dazzling team performance, Atalanta clinched their first three-pointer of the season and climbed to 5 points in the Serie A standings as the Nerazzurri ran out 4-1 winners over Lecce: after Scalvini broke the deadlock before halftime, De Ketelaere struck twice, with a stunning goal from Zalewski sandwiched in between to complete the scoring against the Salentini.
After a brief exchange of long-range shots around the half-hour mark, with Krstović responding to Sottil, the breakthrough came in the 37th minute as Scalvini headed Atalanta into the lead with a perfectly timed run at Zalewski’s right corner. Right after the goal, Krstović went on the attack once again, sending his left-footed effort wide of target.
Capping off a Pašalić-Krstović link-up, De Ketelaere doubled our lead in the 51st with a pinpoint snooker shot. Atalanta nearly made it three in a wink on 55 minutes, when Zalewski's free-kick from the edge of the box crashed off the crossbar before finding Pašalić's header on the rebound, only to be then met by a last-ditch save from Falcone. In the 63rd, De Ketelaere set up Krstović, who fired a left-footed shot from a good striking position but failed to hit the mark. The third came in the 70th as Krstović turned provider once again with his second assist of the game, setting up Zalewski, who found his very first goal in Nerazzurro with a right-footed curler into the bottom corner. As the De Ketelaere-Krstović duo weaved chances once again (with the black-and-blue no. 90 denied by the Lecce keeper), Atalanta's no. 17 plucked the 4th of the game out of thin air as he snatched the ball on the offensive third and then vanquished Falcone one-on-one to complete his brace in the 73rd. The visitors pulled one back in the 82nd with N'Dri.
Returning from the international break strong, Atalanta secured an important league victory just days before their Champions League season opener against reigning champions PSG on Wednesday.
ATALANTA 4-1 LECCE
Scorers: Scalvini 37 (A), De Ketelaere 51, 73 (A), Zalewski 70 (A), N'Dri 82 (L).
Atalanta: Carnesecchi, Kossounou, Hien, Scalvini, Bellanova, de Roon (Musah 75), Pašalić (Brescianini 60), Zalewski (Bernasconi 86), De Ketelaere (Samardžić 75), Kamaldeen (Maldini 75), Krstović. Unused bench: Rossi, Sportiello, Djimsiti, Obrić, Camara, Ahanor, Zappacosta. Coach: Ivan Jurić.
Lecce: Falcone, Kouassi (Veiga 71), Gaspar, Siebert (Thiago Gabriel 79), Gallo, Coulibaly, Ramadani, Sala (N'Dri 60), Morente, Sottil (Pierotti 60), Stulic (Camarda 71). Unused bench: Fruchtl, Samooja, Ndaba, Berisha, Helgason, Banda, Kovac. Coach: Eusebio Di Francesco.
Referee: Gianluca Manganiello from Pinerolo;
Assistant referees: Dario Cecconi from Empoli and Marcello Rossi from Biella;
Fourth official: Andrea Zanotti from Rimini;
V.A.R.: Valerio Marini from Roma 1;
A.V.A.R.: Daniele Chiffi from Padova.